2010/07/09 – Original Sin and the Irresponsible Chef

Understanding sin and atonement in relation to an omnipotent God is fraught with contradictions and while there has been many theological and philosophical attempts to logically connect the dots, it has never been sufficiently explained in common sense terms, and this relegates this metaphysical theory to childish superstition.

Christian theology attempted to piggy-back its Jewish ancestors in order to give itself a historical legacy of a spiritual progression from a religion based on Law to one based on ‘Faith’, but the joining isn’t seamless. Christianity has however, been able to justify the belief in sin and atonement by the story of Jesus’ crucifixion by successfully connecting it to the patently mythic story of Adam and Eve.

The message of all religion is simply: “There is something wrong with the nature of your being and your physical body that is an affront to existence. You must do this and that in order to become “redeemed.”

The concept of sin has done more damage than the supposed existence of sin could ever do, because it justifies evil acts by saying we were born evil in the first place with no “fault” of our own. Yet we must “Praise God” who can never make a mistake and isn’t held responsible for creating such a miserable, limited and obviously flawed creation.

The common sense of this formulation would be similar to going to a 5 Star restaurant and being served an expensive meal by the best chef in the world but what arrives at your table was a disgusting heap of garbage, and after you complain the chef refuses to take responsibility for the mess. “I’m perfect,” she says. “That meal has to redeem itself and prove that it is worthy of being my creation.”

“But you cooked it!”

“I’m not listening,” screams the chef as she runs back into the kitchen with her hands covering her ears.

A True Creator takes responsibility for what the Creator Creates. This is common sense.

No religion is “true” because there is no religion that can justify the worship of a Creator who cannot take responsibility. The moral force to any claim of righteousness is emptied of meaning on this one point of Divine Irresponsibility. Yet, to the believer, a limited creature must bear full responsibility and infinite punishment for a design which it had no say in is making. This is simply ludicrous.

If one does something “wrong,” then forgive yourself and don’t do it again. Treat others how you would want to be treated. Find ways that would improve the lives of all, because God can’t do anything about changing their experience. The matter of human destiny has always been with human beings. We are responsible to ourselves and to each other. No deity will be able to remove that responsibility.

Ah, but the waiter WORKS for the chef. It’s not that the waiter snuck in the cafe unnoticed. So, right, the waiter ‘talked the food into messing up’ or influenced the food in some way to make it unpalatable. Thanks for making this analogy more APROPO.